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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Larry McCormack
Les Gems 17th Annual Literary Luncheon Saturday May 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
On May 18, a sold-out crowd attended Les Gemmes' Nashville chapter Literary Luncheon.
Guests at the seventeenth annual event enjoyed listening to keynote speaker and bestselling author ReShonda Tate, who recently released her novel, "The Queen of Sugar Hill," which tells the story of the legendary Hattie McDaniel, the first Black to receive an Academy Award. All guests received an autographed copy of the book.
The Literary Luncheon, held at Music City Center’s Davidson Ballroom, benefited Les Gemmes’ Lighting the Path for Girls program, which provides scholarships, mentoring, and educational experiences for Black young women.
Entertainment was provided by former members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, including Kimberly Fleming, a Grammy-nominated musical artist, and the Friends of Fisk. The Sankofa African Dancers performed and 2024 Nashville Poet Laureate, Jadyn Marshall, also shared her work. Mayor Freddie O’Connell delivered remarks.
Guests shopped for goods from the thirty-seven Black entrepreneurs, businesses, and authors who were set up at the event and many of the attendees wore African attire which is a Literary Luncheon tradition. Chairing the luncheon was Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson, who recently published an op-ed that discusses the Nashville history connection to Hattie McDaniel’s story in The Tennessean.